I’ve been performing a bit of a dance with my phone as of late. A technology tango if you will. I’m excited about sharing my journey in the hopes of inspiring others. Advocating. Giving a voice to those who feel alone in this world. It’s been incredibly therapeutic saying things that have been trapped inside my mind for years, processing my experiences. Unfortunately in doing so, I went HARD since starting this blog and burned myself out.  I tend to overextend myself. When I’m feeling pretty good physically, mentally, and emotionally I run with it. When you live with chronic illness, both medically and psychologically, the good days are not guaranteed. They’re a happy surprise. It’s like the stars aligning, allowing me to get a taste of what it’s like for those without these conditions. I try to cross as many things off my to do/wish list as I can, not knowing when I’ll feel this good again. To the outside world, it looks erratic and inconsistent, but there is a method to the madne...

**Trigger Warning (TW): Post About Death** A few years back, my Gramma fell. She had been living in an independent living facility and doing really well, but after that fateful fall it all went downhill. At that point I had been working in Long Term Care for a good portion of my career. I knew falls like hers were a kiss of death. The next 5 months she was in and out of the hospital. Each time she grew weaker, which led to her having to move into the assisted living portion of the facility between hospital stays. She prided herself on her independence, and I think it truly helped her live as long as she did. (94 years!!!!) But there she was, in that assisted living room at the end. I am so thankful for that room, because it is where I spent her last full day on earth.  During her last hospital stay, we knew it was close to the end. She had been seeing relatives who passed away long ago like her sisters and my Grampa. Each time she seemed comforted, like she knew she was going home ...

My Top 33 Coping Mechanisms  When I’m Anxious: Listening to and singing along with folklore by Taylor swift Listening to Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours Album  and anything with Stevie Nick's Goddess-like voice  Listening to the Eclectic Mom Musings Playlist Listening to My Favorite Murder Podcast Eating comforting foods (I’m looking at you, Dairy Queen) Watching “Ask a Mortician” videos on YouTube Watching Parks and Recreation on a loop (Leslie Knope is my Spirit Animal!)  Grounding Techniques: I like this one! Meditating Doing a Yoga with Adrienne Video Napping  Sitting on my front porch, breathing in the fresh air Cuddling with my dog Jovie  Going for a walk Crying Stretching/Freestyle Yoga Laying in my reading nook and focusing on my breath Playing outside with my daughter 💗 Cuddling and watching The Nightmare Before Christmas with my daughter 💜 Family cuddles watching Bluey in Bed 💙 (and that theme song getting stuck in all our heads) Sipping on a cup of ho...

I’m going to be honest with you guys. I’ve REALLY been struggling the last few weeks. I was riding this high of self-discovery, doing yoga and meditating, when BOOM!! Life was like “You’re doing TOO well… it’s time to mix things up.” **Maniacal Laugh** High blood sugars from my steroid injections. Death in my husband's family. Anxiety. Difficult patients at work. COVID-19 Burnout. They ALL came to the party at the same time. All I wanted to do was curl up in a ball and cry, but I repressed that urge. Kept going about my days. Working. Mom-ing. I didn't have the time to fall apart.  Repressing it didn’t help. ( Let me put on my surprised face…) In hindsight, I should have thrown myself a pity party and cried it out. But I didn’t want to. Why? Why is crying considered a sign of weakness in our society? Why does it make people cower? Repulsed by the display of emotion? Vulnerability is not a trait venerated in our culture, at least not when I was growing up. I’ve always been w...

You guys! I JUST realized March is Autoimmune Disease Awareness Month!   I’m not sure how I never came across this before, but I am glad I did. I am living with not one, not two, but three autoimmune diseases. As most of you know at this point, I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 11, which is an autoimmune disorder. I have always been a huge advocate for diabetes awareness. Living with Type 1 Diabetes, (T1D) I get ALL of the ignorant comments from well meaning people:  “Did you get diabetes from eating too much sugar?” “Should you be eating THAT?!” **Looks me up and down** “You don’t LOOK diabetic” “Oh, you have to take insulin. Do you have the bad type of diabetes?” “Your blood sugar is high. What did you do wrong?” And that's just a few. To clear things up, T1D is an autoimmune disease where the immune system gets confused and attacks the pancreas, killing off the Beta Cells that produce insulin. Sugar did not trigger this. A certain weight or body type does...

I’ve noticed a trend in my glucose levels lately. I’m consistently going low, even with adjustments to the settings in my insulin pump. The weekends are especially bad. Friday after work through Sunday evening, even into Monday. Lows, on lows, on lows. I went low last weekend when my husband and I were in Jim Thorpe. A LOT. That one made a little more sense though, since we were walking much more than we usually (or at least I) do since I am at a desk mostly during the workweek.  (Juice for my Low at Dinner and my Post-Low Sushi) (Walking Around Jim Thorpe was GORGEOUS) This weekend I’m going low again. As I sit here typing this, munching on a fruit strip to stave off of another low, I am recounting the last 24 hours or so, to see what is different. What brings on the lows over the weekend? Being diabetic is kind of like being a medical detective. I am constantly analyzing trends, dosing, activity level, carbs. My brain at lunch is a whirlwind of my recent activity, carbs for the m...

Low Carbohydrate & Ketogenic Diets Working as a Registered Dietitian over the last decade, I’ve seen many fad diets come and go. Atkins. Weight Watchers. You name it, I’ve seen it and in my days of disordered eating, I probably tried it. I was like a walking science experiment, with the nutrition knowledge to know why I shouldn’t be following said diet, but with the disordered eating brain running the show, logic went out the window. One diet that has been around in some form or another has been particularly concerning for me: low carbohydrate and ketogenic diets. They are just the new Atkins, wrapped up in a shiny bow. But updated marketing doesn’t change the science behind it all.  Carbohydrates provide a major source of energy to the brain and body. They are required for the production of the neurotransmitter serotonin, which is needed for mood stability and promotes healthy sleep. Serotonin is also linked to feelings of well-being. Without an adequate source of carbohydrate...